MAT eligibility criteria includes academic qualification, minimum marks, work experience, age limit as mentioned by AIMA. The basic qualification to appear for the MAT exam is graduation. Know here the details of MAT eligibility criteria 2025.
MAT exam eligibility criteria is a set of academic requirements that MBA aspirants need to fulfil to be eligible to take the entrance test. The basic eligibility criteria for MAT is graduation. The good part is that there is no minimum score requirement. Candidates with passing marks in Graduation can appear in MAT. However, the colleges accepting MAT score may have the minimum score requirement, thus it is best to score atleast 50 percent in graduation to pursue full-time MBA from a reputed institute.
The MAT exam is conducted four times a year – February, May, September and December. MAT score is accepted by over 800 B-schools across the country for admission to MBA/PGDM courses. Those who plan to take the MAT 2025 exam, must check the eligibility criteria before applying. Candidates can take MAT exam in one of the three modes of their choice - Internet-Based Test (IBT), Computer-Based Test (CBT) or Paper-Based Test (PBT) and the eligibility criteria for all three modes are same. There is no limit on the number of attempts for taking the exam. The scores of latest MAT attempt will be taken into consideration for MBA admission.
Also Read: MAT 2025 application form and registration process
MAT Eligibility Criteria 2025
All India Management Association (AIMA) the MAT conducting agency, prescribes the eligibility criteria. Check details below:
MAT Exam Eligibility: Academic Qualification
- Candidates must have completed bachelor's degree in any discipline from a recognised Institute or University.
- Candidates appearing in the final year examination or awaiting result for Bachelor's degree are also eligible to appear for MAT 2025.
MAT Eligibility Criteria: Age Limit
There is no age limit to appear for MAT exam. However, since the academic qualification is graduation, the age of candidates is usually 20 and above.
MAT Criteria: Work Experience
Work experience is not a mandatory eligibility criteria for MAT. However, it carries extra weightage in selection process of MBA colleges accepting MAT score.
Also Read:
MAT Eligibility Criteria for Participating Institutes
As per the general MAT eligibility criteria fixed by the participating institutes, candidates should have a bachelor's degree and a valid MAT score. Some of the B-schools specify eligible marks for the qualifying degree examination of 50 per cent aggregate for General category and 45 per cent aggregate for Reserved category.
Also Read: MBA colleges accepting MAT scores
MAT Exam Eligibility: Reservation Criteria
MAT or AIMA does not prescribe Reservation criteria for the entrance exam. The Reservation Policy is followed for admission through MAT as specified by the participating colleges as per the Reservation Policy of the Government of India.
MAT Reservation Criteria for SC/ST/OBC/EWS candidates
Candidates belonging to the Reserved categories are eligible for admission in to MBA programme as per the quota percentage given below. Such candidates will have to submit at the time of admission, respective caste/tribe certificate issued by the Government of India to get a seat through Reservation Policy.
| Category |
Seat Quota Percentage |
| Scheduled Caste (SC) |
15% |
| Scheduled Tribe (ST) |
7.5% |
| Other Backward Classes, Non-Creamy layer (NC-OBC) |
27% |
| Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) |
10% |
MAT Reservation Criteria for PwD candidates
As per the RPwD Act 2016, 5 per cent seats are reserved for PwD candidates in educational institutions.
The categories of disability are:
- Blindness and low vision
- Deaf and hard of hearing
- Locomotor disability including cerebral palsy, leprosy, cured dwarfism, acid attack victims and muscular dystrophy.
- Autism, intellectual disability, specific learning disability and mental illness
- Multiple disabilities from amongst persons under one to four
- Other ‘specified disabilities’ mentioned in ‘The Schedule’ of the RPwD Act 2016
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For MAT CBT, candidates will be allotted a test centre in the city they shall have selected as preference in the, MAT application form. Candidates can appear for MAT from home in only IBT mode. MAT CBT is held in the followimg cities: Agra, Ahmedabad, Asansol, Bareilly, Bengaluru, Bhopal, Bhubaneswar, Chandigarh, Chennai, Coimbatore, Dehradun, Delhi, Ernakulam - Kochi, Ghaziabad, Gurgaon, Guwahati, Hubballi (Hubli), Hyderabad, Indore, Jaipur, Jammu, Kolkata, Kozhikode, Lucknow, Madurai, Meerut, Mumbai, Mysuru (Mysore), Nashik, Noida, Patna, Pune, Raipur, Ranchi, Rourkela, Shillong, Shimla, Silchar, Thiruvananthapuram, Thrissur, Vellore and Vijayawada